Sunday, November 15, 2009

College Planning for the Week of 11/16/09

Colleges Visiting TMS - A full list of the colleges currently scheduled to visit as well as a list of a few Open House events and local information sessions are posted on the Family Connection site. Here are the colleges scheduled to visit us in the next two weeks. Please add your name to the sign up sheet on my door and get the permission of your teacher to attend.
  • Dominican University - Monday 11/16 at 12:00
  • Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Wednesday 11/18 at 11:45
Colleges of the Week - Dominican is right in our own back yard and a great place for all sorts of liberal arts students but particularly known for nursing, occupational therapy, teacher training and business. If you haven't come to a college rep visit yet this year, this may be your last chance to hear about small liberal arts colleges! Across the bridge in San Francisco, FIDM is the place to go for training in all facets of the fashion industry - design, manufacturing, retail, media and graphics.

Do you know? - A lighter topic this week! There is no shortage of wacky websites devoted to college planning but my personal favorite is the Campus Squirrel Listing, documenting the attributes of a college's squirrel population. Also, here's an amusing photo essay on the Evolution of the College Dorm.

My Schedule this Week - I'll be on campus Monday 10-3:30, Wednesday 8-4 and Thursday 10-4:30.
FOR SENIORS

Take a breath!
A few of you are over the finish line and have submitted all your applications and many others are almost there, trying to meet the "Submit them all by Thanksgiving" goal. Take a minute for a deep breath. If you are feeling overwhelmed, come see me and we can break the work down into manageable chunks.

Your UC and CSU applications are due 11/30 and should be submitted this week to avoid the usual traffic and computer meltdowns during the last week of November.
If you have not submitted these applications and you need/want assistance, please schedule time with me during a free period this week as my time at school for the rest of November will be limited. Remember that the entry of courses and grades on the CSU and UC applications can be tricky and I am happy to double check your work.

Application Help On Wednesday 2:30-4 and Thursday 3:30-4:30 -
While after school application help has been very productive for many of you, if you want individual sustained attention from me, please schedule time with me during a free period. If you plan to stay after school on Wednesday or Thursday and want to work in a quieter space than the Library, just let me know.

Checklist for each application:
For each application, make sure that......
  • Someone else has reviewed your application - a good thing to ask parents to do. I am happy to review course and grade entry for CSU and UC applications.
  • You have printed and saved a copy of the application.
  • You paid the application fee or applied for a fee waiver.
  • Your test official test scores have have been sent to the college by the College Board or the ACT.
  • You've asked Susan to send any required transcripts, teacher recommendations or Secondary School Report (counselor recommendation).
  • You have sent any additional documentation such as writing samples and resumes to the college
Housing Applications and Deadlines - At some of the larger universities there is a separate process for applying for housing and often those deadlines come before the admission application deadline. Check the university website to make sure you don't miss important deadlines!

Common App college but you are not using the Common App?
Please let me know if this is the case. I send recommendations and transcripts electronically but they are only matched when you use the Common App. If I know you are using some other application, I will mail the material.

SAT/ACT Registration Deadlines
- If you need to take or retake the SAT, SAT Subject Tests or ACT this fall, the registration deadlines are approaching. The late registration deadline for the December 5th SAT or SAT Subject Tests has passed. To test as a standby, see me. To register go to wwwcollegeboard.com. The late registration deadline for the December 12th ACT is 11/20 and you can register at www.actstudent.org.

FOR JUNIORS

Test how much you know about colleges
- Check out these college trivia quizzes. There are quizzes about specific colleges, where colleges are located, testing and mascots. You might be surprised how much you already know!

Susan Gotshall-Maxon
College Counselor

No comments:

Post a Comment